(NECN: Justin Michaels, Lawrence, Mass.) – After more than 24 hours since the mayoral election in Lawrence, Mass., it's still unclear who will be leading the city. Unofficial results show City Councilor Daniel Rivera as the winner by 60 votes, but current Mayor William Lantigua isn't giving up just yet.
We're not set to hear anything official until sometime Friday, and then we may not actually know who is mayor until next week.
The election for mayor of Lawrence, Mass. was won by a very small margin of just 60 votes, but the incumbent candidate won't stand down.
We went by Mayor William Lantigua's campaign office and nobody was there, nor is he at City Hall .
But we did come across Dan Rivera, the man who, at this point, has the lead in this election.
"We share the mayor’s concern about the final tally but I think at the end of the day we are still going to be the Mayor-elect. We think people went out there, the majority of Lawrence voters went out there and gave us their support."
Rivera believes he has won the election fair and square and has gone as far as beginning a transition office.
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"As far as we are concerned, we are Mayor-elect we are going to keep doing what we’re doing because this city needs that type of finality."
More than 15,000 people voted and it's come down to that small lead for Rivera. However, there is some question from Lantigua's side about issues with some of the ballot boxes.
"Citywide there were issues of jammed machines and we are not sure if in the jamming of those machines certain votes were or were not counted," said Sal Tabit, election counsel for Mayor Lantigua.
City election staff, under the watchful eye of people from both campaigns, are going through provisional ballots and checking to make sure all the I's are dotted and T's are crossed on this elections process.
“The Mayor is currently William Lantigua. And then there’s a change of power that is going to happen, like in traditional American fashion, and we’re going to do it like everybody else does it."
The Board of Elections will release final numbers, with absentee ballots included, on Friday, but the possibility of a recount extends all the way until next Friday.
